Calvin students help revive Panama island's bakery

Grand Rapids -- A bakery on Isla Tigre in Panama is back in operation, thanks to help from 11 Calvin College students.

They visited the island this spring on a mission from the Grand Rapids school's Global Business Brigade chapter. It's part of Global Brigades, a national group that mobilizes volunteers to deal with a range of health, environmental and other needs in developing areas.

"The students who traveled to Panama in the spring spent months preparing before flying to Central America," Calvin writer Cloud Cray said in a posting on the school's Web site. "They researched the area's culture and community structure and generated funds and a practical business plan for the community."

"The key to a successful brigade is empowering the community and providing a sustainable solution," brigade Vice President Brendan Snyder said in a statement.

According to Cray, the community's bakery had been out of service since an equipment breakdown that was too expensive to fix.

Some of the students set about repairing the equipment, while others focused on providing training to the operators in business practices.

"Each student played a huge role," said chapter President Ashley Luse.

Adding to the challenge were language differences. The native language on the island is Dule, not the dominant Panamanian language Spanish.

Students, some of whom spoke Spanish and some of whom didn't, needed multiple translators and sometimes resorted to pantomime, Cray said.

Fortunately, the local minister spoke all three languages, Luse said.

Plans are under way for the brigade to revisit the bakery each semester.